Tennis court wastelands
Closed tennis court at Fairmount Park on Pueblo's north side.
Leaves blow across the fractured surface of a tennis court on Pueblo’s east side. It’s fall in Colorado, but even if it was summer it’s unlikely you’d find anyone playing here. Sadly, after years of neglect neighborhood tennis courts throughout Pueblo have become deserted wastelands.
No one plays on them because the courts are a mess! The concrete is cracked and crumbling apart. Tennis nets are torn. A majority of them don’t even have nets. In fact, most of the posts have been removed. Abandoned—the surfaces are now covered with weeds, rocks and broken glass.
This is the scene at tennis courts all across Pueblo: south, east, west, north. A total of 11 courts have been declared closed—that’s more than a third of the tennis courts managed by the city.
The net may be torn, but this tennis court in El Camino is one of the few with a net.
So why hasn’t the city maintained them? Or do something now to fix them? Mike Sexton with the City Parks Department says the courts were built poorly in the 1970s. “Soon after they were built, they started falling into a state of disrepair,” said Sexton.
Sexton also says it’s not a priority to fix the courts. He estimates it would cost about $30,000 a piece to fix them. Even if they were repaired, the city doesn’t think they get much use. “We have converted some tennis courts into basketball courts, because of the neighborhoods—people didn’t play tennis,” said Sexton.
Right now, most tennis players play at the City Park tennis courts, where there are 17 courts. But what I don’t like is that during the summer you have to pay $4 for a court. Wait a minute! Don’t I pay tax dollars! Isn’t this a public facility?!
So here’s a clever thought: Use court fees to fix up the old tennis courts. Nope. Can’t do that. The parks department says the money collected from court fees goes into the city’s general fund.
Okay so it doesn’t look like the damaged tennis courts will be fixed anytime soon. But that’s sure to upset the folks who analyzed our city parks last year. A private consultant firm recommended the parks department do more to improve tennis. In fact, they wrote a report that recommended the city should build 7, yes 7 more tennis courts in Pueblo over the next three years. That’s based on population growth and interest in the sport.
Sadly, I doubt Pueblo will get 7 more courts, primarily because some of the existing courts are in such bad shape.
Pueblo tennis courts declared closed:
- Drew Dix Park, Drew Dix Dr. and Gamble Ln.
- El Camino Park, 50 Verdosa Dr.
- Fairmount Park, 29th St. and Colfax Ave. (No tennis net!!)
- Mineral Palace Park, 1500-2100 N. Sante Fe Dr.
- Northridge School Park, North and Peakview Dr.
- Plaza Verde Park, 710 Ash St.
- Portland Park, 1725 E. 19th St.
